DARTMOUTH 20, SYRACUSE 14
In a sizzling contest which was in doubt literally until the final whistle, Dartmouth continued her winning ways against Syracuse by snatching a contest out of the fire (or more specifically out of the air) in the final moments of play. This meritorious action was carried out by Freshman Fullback Herb Carey (playing in place of the incapacitated Captain Douglas) who intercepted a Syracuse pass in the closing minutes of the game which, if completed, might well have meant a defeat for the Green. After this stirring performance, Dartmouth advanced the ball to the enemy 4-yard line where, in practically the same position as the week before, the game ended with Dartmouth in scoring territory. But up to that time it had been touch and go, with Syracuse always dangerous and apt to break loose with a succession of devastating spinners through the center of the Dartmouth line which might have ended up behind the Indian goal. We were, to put it crudely, very close to being beaten by some such score as 21-20 by a third Syracuse touchdown which, happily enough, never quite materialized.
The leading Indian hero in this rousing encounter was Conrad Pensavalle who sparked his men to one touchdown (finally scored by O'Brien), scored another personally, and generally galvanized the Green whenever he was in the game. His generalship was excellent, his running dynamic, and his passing superlative as he personally set a Dartmouth team in motion which looked at times like the old aggregations of lamented pre-war memory. Other able performers for the Green were Bob McLaughry, son of Tuss and champion hardluck player of all-time, who finally played in his first Dartmouth varsity game some six years after starring as a freshman on the fabled 1944 freshman team way back in the fall of 1940. Playing part of the game at fullback, Bob ripped off some considerable yardage on quick-openers and spinners through the center of the huge Syracuse line. Carl Tracy, an 18-year-old halfback of unimposing stature but imposing speed, scored the other Dartmouth touchdown on a long jaunt from almost midfield, again through the hostile line. Finally, end Bob Poet caught several passes, a feat which duplicated his work against Holy Cross and which he was to repeat the next week against Penn. The Green forward wall as a unit again more than lived up to expectations by fighting the massive Syracuse types to a standstill.
The Dartmouth scoring was done in each of the first three periods, after which the Green figuratively stood pat and attempted to bar the door. The first touchdown was scored by O'Brien and climaxed the aforementioned series of runs and passes by Pensavalle (the Mighty Mouse) and Bob McLaughry. The second-period touchdown was Carl Tracy's, and the third was personally engineered by the redoubtable diminutive quarterback, who sneaked the ball over from the one-yard line after it had been advanced to that point by one of his own passes caught by end George Rusch. Although Dartmouth completed only 5 out of 13 passes attempted that afternoon, each of the successful aerials came when and where they could do the most good.
The Indians were seriously handicapped by the sidelining of Captain Tom Douglas, despite the heroic activities of the other fullbacks. The sore spot was in the kicking department, where the Bomber excels. Most of the punting was done by Monahan, who got off several nice boots early in the game but with such great deliberation that it was only a question of time until Syracuse blocked one of them. This they did in the second period, which debacle led directly to their first touchdown. Again in the fourth period Monahan's pensive handling of the ball, plus a somewhat inept center pass, forced him to run with the ball from punt formation on fourth down, an activity which is not one of Mo's strong points. The kick-offs were also distinctly below standard, the second enemy touchdown leading from an abortive endeavor which went about fifteen yards.
The Green soundly outstatisticked its rivals, with 14 first downs to 9, with almost exactly double the yardage gained from rushing (252 to 125) and with 75 yards gained from forward passes to a meager 29 from the same source by Syracuse (although one of the latter resulted in a touchdown for the Boys from Syracuse). Along in the second half, when Dartmouth was leading by what then appeared to be a comfortable margin, the stands took up the cry, "This one was a breather—this one was a breather"—thus parodying the incautious remark by some Syracuse sports writer before the opening of the season to the effect that, against Dartmouth at least, his team would have a breather. As it turned out, the game was far from that for either team, with the issue in doubt down to the last few minutes. It was an exciting game to watch. And a good one to win.
GREEN SCATBACK. Conrad Pensavalle '49 of Ev- erett, Mass., whose fleet running and sharp passing have highlighted the early-season games.
AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE CROWD OF 10,000 WHICH WITNESSED THE DARTMOUTH-SYRACUSE GAME
